Articles by Joshua Dowling

Joshua Dowling road tests and reviews the Volvo V60 Polestar in Sweden.

The all-new Mercedes-Benz AMG-GT is designed to take on the iconic Porsche 911. Mercedes-Benz has built a Porsche. The new AMG-GT is half the price of the Mercedes Gullwing it replaces and is designed to challenge the iconic Porsche 911 head-on. Unveiled in Germany overnight the AMG-GT is due in Australian showrooms priced from $250,000 when it goes on sale next year, and promises to be faster than a similarly-priced Porsche. In its most ambitious project yet, Mercedes-Benz says the AMG-GT is "a sports-car in its purist form" and will push the company "more vehemently and aggressively … as a sports-car brand". In the car world, that's as close as it gets to a declaration of war.  The AMG-GT does not get its predecessor's "gullwing" doors that open upwards, but it gets enough power to make it fly. The twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 -- the same engine due in the upcoming Mercedes-Benz C63 sports sedan -- is available with two power outputs. Geek alert for the tech heads: in its peak form it has a whopping 375kW of power and 650Nm of torque (or 340kW and 600Nm in its standard configuration). The company claims the high-powered AMG-GT can sprint from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.8 seconds and has a top speed of 310km/h. Mercedes has used aluminium to help keep the AMG-GT's bodyweight to a minimum. It is slightly heavier than a Porsche 911 -- when compared against the same measuring criteria -- but the Benz has significantly more power. Other differences? The Mercedes also has just two seats whereas Porsche claims the 911 can seat four. But as anyone who has tried to fit in the back can testify, the back seats on a 911 are better suited to carrying luggage than passengers. The V8 engine in the Mercedes is under the bonnet while the six-cylinder engine in Porsche is mounted in the rear of the car. At least there is one thing both companies agree on: they use seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions for rapid-fire gear-changes and quick acceleration. So how well does the new mega Mercedes drive? We won't know until later in the year because Mercedes hasn't let anyone outside the company behind the wheel yet. Instead, it has teased fans with a series of videos that show the car during development while it was still under wraps. Fast facts: Mercedes versus Porsche Mercedes-Benz AMG-GTPrice: From $250,000 (estimated)Engine: Twin turbo 4.0-litre V8 (front mounted)Power: 375kW and 650NmEconomy: 9.4L/100kmTransmission: Seven-speed dual clutch autoWeight: 1570kg (unladen, EU standard)0 to 100km/h: 3.8 secondsTop speed: 310km/h Porsche 911 Carrera SPrice: From $243,100Engine: 3.8-litre six-cylinder (rear mounted) Power: 294kW and 440NmEconomy: 9.1L/100kmTransmission: Seven-speed dual clutch autoWeight: 1540kg (unladen, EU standard)0 to 100km/h: 4.3 secondsTop speed: 297km/h

Joshua Dowling drives the bombproof car used by world leaders at the G20 Summit in Brisbane in November.  Whatever you do -- no matter how angry you are or what cause you're protesting for or against -- do not stand in front of an armoured car. Apart from the fact that this big black beast weighs almost four-and-a-half tonnes -- twice as much as standard -- the windscreen is so thick it's like looking through a pair of milk bottles. Chances are the driver won't see you. From some angles, the view through the windscreen is so distorted it looks like you're driving through an impressionist painting. Welcome to the lush green hills on the outskirts of Stuttgart in Germany where we are one of just 15 international journalists to be let inside this secret world. Mercedes-Benz has never rolled up the shutters on its armoured car facility before, and may never again after all the questions they, politely, could not answer. "It's classified," was the routine answer. "We'd love to tell you but it's not allowed -- by every government in the world we deal with." And there are about 100 of them, from Israel to Pakistan, to China and Malta. And, as of the middle of November, Australia, where 16 cars are being rented out for the G20 Summit of world leaders in Brisbane. Contrary to perception, armoured cars are apparently not bought by Russian gangsters, the Italian mafia or Mexican drug lords. Most buyers are governments, and selected big businesses. We can't tell you how many armoured cars are made each year, because that's classified as well. But I was able to figure out it's approximately 500 cars per year. Using my investigative journalism skills I happened to notice the, er, massive numbers taped to the doors of each car on the production line. Oops. We also can't show you what it looks like inside the factory where each car is built from the inside out with armour plating, because our phones and cameras had to be surrendered during the tour. Every worker in the factory has a security background check, and they're not allowed to tell their mates what they do at work all day. That must make for pretty boring bar talk. German mate: "What did you do today, Gerhard?" German armoured car builder: "Oh nothing, swept the floor again." But back to the road ahead and the mayhem I could be leaving behind if I miscalculate a turn. As luck would have it, there are a lot of roadworks in Germany during the summer. At this rate, I'm not just going to take out the road dividers but I reckon we could tear a corner off a bulldozer with this thing. The windscreen is extra thick because it's designed to withstand bullets, bombs and a missile attack. Faced between a choice of using more concentration than usual, or ending up dead, I'll go with the former option. This windscreen weighs 130kg while a standard windscreen weighs about 12kg. Each door weighs almost 150kg. It's so heavy you have to lean back as if you're doing a yoga stretch to yank it open. No wonder they have beefcake security guards. They use most of those muscles just to open the damn doors. The underbelly of the car is completely flat with armour plating to cope with a bomb going off underneath it. Unfortunately, as the driver of the limousine for US President Barrack Obama found out in Ireland in 2011, they're quite low and can get their belly caught on steep driveways. If someone firebombs the car, the onboard extinguisher system activates automatically. But you can activate it manually in an emergency. It's one of the reasons we were warned not to touch any buttons in the car. So you can only imagine, then, how tempted we all were to find it. There is also an onboard oxygen system, which I thought would come in handy on a smoggy day. But it turns out that's in case there is a chemical weapon attack. "How long does the oxygen last?" we ask, naturally. "It's classified," again came the routine answer. "We'd love to tell you but it's not allowed. By every government in the world." Other cool gadgets: the reclining back seats have their own cooling and heating systems. There are two TV screens and a DVD player. There is a giant esky between the backseats. And lots of room for top secret stuff like radios and other communications equipment for the various dignitaries. In addition to the cameras with night vision technology, the bombproof Benz has microphones in the side mirrors to eavesdrop on what's being said outside, and a loudspeaker in the front fenders in case you want to, er, send a message to the outside world. There is also a panic alarm to end all panic alarms, as one unlucky armoured car handler found out the hard way. Unless you disable the panic alarm with a special code, it will last as long as the battery lasts. In this case, six days. The handler wanted to show off the panic alarm when he took the car home. The noise was so piercing he leapt out of the car, accidentally leaving the key inside. The car then locked itself, as it's supposed to, because it thought there was an attack. The handler couldn't break into the vehicle -- it's an armoured car, every gap is welded tight -- or get the bonnet open. So the alarm went for two days straight -- around the clock -- until Mercedes in Germany could airfreight the key to the handler who, apparently, has since moved house. He may have died of embarrassment but, as far as Mercedes can recall, no-one has died in one of its armoured cars. And it's been making them since 1920. Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf came under attack in the early 2000s and wrote a letter to Mercedes thanking them for saving his life. In the 1990s, the president of Georgia and former Russian foreign minister, Eduard Shevardnadze, came under fire on three separate occasions. Each time he walked away unscathed. He also wrote a thank you letter. "There is of course a chance you can get injured, but the main function is to make sure there is enough protection so that you don't die," says the Mercedes armoured car minder, whose name is classified. With all of the above in mind I head out to the open road, hoping not to get mistaken for a dictator, world leader or oil baron. Mercedes has done its best to disguise the fact that this is an armoured car. The only giveaways are the ‘milk bottle' windows, the over-sized puncture-proof tyres, and the massive front brakes designed to stop 4.5 tonnes travelling at 100km/h in just 39 metres. To the untrained eye, it looks just like a regular Mercedes. If The Chaser boys ever get their hands on one, there could again be trouble. The massive V12 engine is more willing than I was expecting, performance is not as blunted as I thought it would be. And the exhaust is tuned to be eerily quiet, so as not to drown out the sound of any discussions about world peace. Or complaints about the wifi charges at the five-star hotel. In most situations the mega Mercedes feels pretty normal, it's just that the response of the throttle and the brakes are slightly delayed. Imagine an elephant trying to snatch a banana, versus a cat trying to swat a piece of string. That's the difference between this car's reflexes and a regular vehicle. The brakes also do a better job than what I was expecting. In fact, as I was stopped at the lights, I started to forget I was in an armoured car. My initial nerves had died down. So you can imagine I got the fright of my life when someone gave three loud thumps on the driver's window. I didn't see anyone approach because of the restricted peripheral vision. Had our road test convoy been mistaken for a genuine government one? Was I going to have to press the buttons I was told I couldn't press? Was I going to have to drive over the concrete divider, through a field and then through someone's backyard and then rejoin suburban streets with their washing stuck to my windscreen, just like in the movies? Before my brain could run wild with other ridiculous scenarios the voice said: "It's your turn to hand the car over to the next driver. Just pull over past the traffic lights," said the Mercedes armoured car minder whose name is classified. And with that my test drive of the million-dollar Mercedes was over.The million-dollar MercedesName: Mercedes-Benz S-GuardPrice: $1 millionEngine: 6.0-litre V12 (390kW/830Nm)Weight: 4.3 tonnesSafety: Nine airbags, anti-skid control, four cameras, on-board oxygen system, bullet proof glass and doors, bombproof floor, puncture-proof tyres, night vision system.Comfort: Reclining "business-class" style seats with heating, cooling and a mechanical massage function, an onboard TV and DVD system, four-zone air-conditioning (that will automatically cool one side of the car depending on the location of the sun, which is tracked by GPS).Speed: The Mercedes-Benz S600 V12 on which the S-Guard is based can reach the speed limit in a Porsche-quick 4.6 seconds. But the added weight of the extra armour blunts performance to a still respectable 6.2 seconds.

Federal Government rents $16 million worth of Mercedes armoured cars for the G20 Summit in Brisbane in November.

Have you ever dreamed of owning the world's fastest car? Meet the replica Bugatti Veyron made from a Holden Monaro. A US man has made a replica of the world's fastest car, the Bugatti Veyron, out of a 2004 Holden Monaro -- and he wants someone to pay $115,000 so he can finish building it. A car restorer in Florida has advertised the home-made re-creation on online auction website eBay. The plastic-bodied backyard build is based on a 2004 Pontiac GTO, which is the US version of the Holden Monaro. VIDEO: Bugatti Veyron claims new speed record In 2004 and 2005 Holden shipped 31,500 Monaros to the US as a Pontiac GTO -- more than twice the number of Monaros sold locally over four years. At least one of them is trying to come back to life as a knock-off version of the Bugatti Veyron. The real Bugatti Veyron is powered by a massive 1001 horsepower, 8.0-litre W16 engine with four turbochargers, has a top speed of 431km/h, and costs more than 1 million Euros plus taxes. Only about 400 have been built. The 'Bugatti Veyron' for sale on eBay is a Pontiac GTO (nee Holden Monaro) that has travelled 136,000km (85,000 miles) and is powered by a comparatively wimpy 5.7-litre V8 with about one quarter of the power. The seller says it is a "high quality replica" and largely "intact and functioning". However the photos show the car is not complete and a long way from being ready for the road, and the airbags appear to have been disabled. Any Australian enthusiasts ought to be aware that, just as with the real Bugatti Veyron, this replica cannot be registered in Australia as it is left-hand-drive.

In a world first, Ford Australia is offering customers $200 if they buy a rival's car. In what is believed to be a world first, Ford Australia is offering $200 to anyone who buys a rival car after taking one of its own for a test drive. The deal applies to all models in the Ford range -- and any brand-new competitor car from another brand -- until the end of October. Ford Australia does not yet have any details on how many customers have cashed-in on the offer because the promotion has only been running for a few days. The first advertisement shows a Toyota HiLux, Australia's top-selling heavy-duty ute for more than 30 years, before a spokeswoman offers viewers $200 if they buy a Toyota HiLux after taking a Ford Ranger for a test drive. RELATED: Affordability hits new high, prices hit new lows MORE: Car sales hit the brakes in AugustA new advertisement due next week, showing a Ford Focus, will set a similar challenge against small cars such as the top-selling Toyota Corolla and Mazda3. It means that anyone who is determined to buy a rival brand can still collect a $200 prepaid Visa card from Ford, providing they take a test drive in a Ford and fill in the required form. "The redemption process is online and designed to be as easy as possible so customers do not have to go back to Ford dealerships if they buy a competitive model," said Mr Sherwood. But anyone who buys the Ford instead will get $500 off their new car. Ford Australia spokesman Wes Sherwood told News Corp Australia: "We do not believe we have done this -- give customers money after Ford test drives if they buy a competitor's vehicle -- before anywhere else in the world". Ford says the offer will extend to all models in the Ford range and any brand-new rival vehicle. "Our dealers will register the customers when they test drive our vehicles and send them a verification e-mail with details on how to claim their payment if they buy a (brand-new) competitive model, which they will have to verify with purchase and registration documents," said Mr Sherwood. Ford says it developed the controversial campaign because "our vehicles have advanced considerably but … perceptions are lagging". The campaign coincides with Ford Australia's plan to turn its showrooms into Apple stores, appointing concierges at each dealership and distributing more than 1000 iPads to dealers nationally so that customers can compare in detail cars from all brands before choosing which model to buy. Ford Australia was one of only three brands in the Top 10 to post strong sales gains last month, driven largely by the success of the locally designed and developed (albeit Thailand-made) Ranger ute. The Ford Ranger has dented the dominance of the top-selling Toyota HiLux. Sales of the HiLux are down by 5.2 per cent in the first eight months this year, while Ranger deliveries have risen by 26 per cent over the same period, closing the gap in second place.

Ford overhauls its showroom experience, is about to appoint a concierge in every dealership, and streamline the servicing process. Ford Australia is about to embark on a multi-million-dollar overhaul of its showrooms -- benchmarked on Apple Stores.  Ford is taking the unprecedented step of retraining all sales staff at its 200 dealers nationally, distributing more than 1000 iPads for use by customers, and streamlining the service check-in process by emailing owners a fixed quote before they hand over the keys. The overhaul starts with every Ford dealership appointing a concierge to greet customers and offering them a drink rather than thrusting a brochure in their hands.  Sales staff will also be retrained to take a gentler approach rather than trying to crunch a deal. "Customers have changed and we need to change with it," says Graeme Whickman, Ford Australia's sales and marketing chief.So far only one Ford dealership has made the switch under a pilot program, but others will follow later this year. It's widely accepted across the car industry that most customers know what they want before they get to a showroom, having done their research online. But as part of Ford's plan to be even more transparent it will give buyers access to the same detailed data the car industry uses internally when comparing models. The data comparisons go into much more detail than what is typically available online across all brands, including differences such as whether a car has a full-size spare tyre, a space-saver spare, or a tyre inflator kit. It will also distinguish which cars have rear-view cameras, parking sensors or none at all. One tap of the Ford iPad app (not available outside the dealership) will also highlight the pros of its models and, in a rare display of transparency, the cons.  "We need to a better job, we want to do a better job," says Mr Whickman. "People have expectations based on their experience at a computer store … and that has left an impression on people's minds and we're going to try to live up to that and exceed that." It's not the first time a big car company has declared a renewed focus on the customer, but Ford insists this time it's different.  "I don't want you to quote me saying (we're) going to put the customer first. To me that's like discovering your thumbs," says Mr Whickman. "But customer requirements and expectations are in a different space now, and we need to change with them."

Car industry slams online car-buying proposal, cars ordered online from overseas will cost more not less, and not covered by warranty.The Federal Government's proposal to allow new cars to be ordered from overseas online -- making Australia the first country in the world to do so -- would “completely obliterate the new-car market” and may end up costing more than buying locally.Foreign cars would cost up to $12,000 each to ship and process -- in addition to the purchase price -- be void of any warranty and ineligible for capped price servicing deals, which are subsidised by the local divisions of each car company, the Australian Motor Industry Federation has warned.“I’m not sure if this is a political stunt, but this announcement is premature and has been done without consultation with the industry,” said Richard Dudley, the chief executive officer of the Australian Motor Industry Federation.“Why does the Federal Government want to make Australia the first country in the world to do this? If it wants to make cars cheaper, it should scrap the Luxury Car Tax,” said Mr Dudley.The Luxury Car Tax adds 33 per cent to the cost of every vehicle priced more than $61,884. Intended to slug buyers of BMWs and Mercedes-Benz cars the tax actually hits Toyota customers more than any other brand.Several car companies contacted by News Corp Australia dismissed the proposal as “madness” but did not want to comment on the record for fear of upsetting the Federal Government.The chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries Tony Weber says Australia is already the most competitive new-car market in the world, with 66 brands competing for 1.1 million sales annually compared to the US where 53 brands compete for 15.6 million sales annually.Commsec data shows new-car affordability is at a 38-year high thanks to strong competition, low interest rates and the sustained strength of the strong Australian dollar.The price of a brand new Toyota Corolla and Nissan Pulsar are the same as they were 20 years ago -- $19,990 plus on-road costs -- even though the cars are significantly safer, better equipped and have more technology.The prices viewed online in the US appear cheaper but do not include state taxes and GST, which brings them in line with prices in Australia.“If this proposal were to go ahead, it’s not going to make cars cheaper, we’re already one of the cheapest places on the planet for new cars,” said Mr Dudley.“The Federal Government clearly doesn’t understand how the business works,” said Mr Dudley. “There is very little (profit) margin on the sale of a new car, it’s made up on service, finance and trade-ins.”Mr Dudley said “it might be a discussion paper but there has not been enough thought put into this, and there has been no thought given to the negative impact on consumers”.If the proposal went ahead Mr Dudley predicted there would “mile-long queues outside the courts in every jurisdiction as consumers try to take action against the local distributors who didn’t sell them the car”.The proposal has spooked all levels of the car industry, with several of the biggest brands warning they would mount nationwide action.“We will get every dealer in every electorate to lobby their Federal member and warn them of the potential catastrophic impact on local jobs and businesses,” one senior car executive warned.The Australian Motor Industry Federation says there are 100,000 retail motor trades businesses which employ more than 308,000 people and have a combined annual turnover in excess of $162 billion.“These businesses are already doing it tough, we’ve seen seven months in a row of new-car sales decline, and now the Federal Government wants to open the floodgates to privately imported new cars,” said Mr Dudley. “The impact on jobs will be profound and dealers will close.”

New Mazda MX-5 on sale in Australia next year priced close to $30,000, about $15,000 less than the current model.Mazda has unveiled the successor to the world’s top-selling sports-car, the MX-5 convertible.In a bizarre display at the global unveiling in Monterey California, the Japanese company used 1980s pop sensations Duran Duran to take the covers off the first all-new MX-5 since the original was launched 25 years ago.When the MX-5 first went on sale, Bob Hawke was Prime Minister, Ronald Reagan was the president of the United States and the Australian cricket team regained the Ashes on UK soil for the first time in 40 years.Still not feeling old? The year 1989 was when Australian Formula One star Daniel Ricciardo was born.Mazda is trying to tug at the retro heartstrings with the new model because it is one of the few Japanese cars that have developed a global cult following.But, much like its owners, the Mazda MX-5 put on some middle-age spread over the past decade or so, getting bigger and heavier with each new model.The latest MX-5, however, has lost much of the weight it had put on over the years and gone back to its roots, weighing less than 1000kg for the first time since the original.The other good news for sports-car fans is that Mazda will bring the MX-5’s price back to basics.When the fourth-generation car goes on sale in Australia in late 2015 it will likely have a starting price close to $30,000 -- about $15,000 less than today's car -- and once again be available exclusively with a soft-top roof.Since 2006 the Mazda MX-5 has had a folding metal roof to help it weather storms and thwart thieves, but this has added weight, complexity and cost.The new model is expected to be available with a choice of two small and economical engines -- a 1.5 and a 2.0-litre -- and a version with a folding metal roof is due to follow in the coming years.The new MX-5 is also significant because it is the first time Mazda will share a car with Italian car makers Fiat and Alfa Romeo.The Italian version of the MX-5, due to be unveiled later this year, will be made in Japan and have a unique appearance and engines.Alfa Romeo announced two years ago that it would work with Mazda to deliver a low-cost two-seater sports-car.But the Italian company has since hinted that the convertible will be sold as a Fiat, its sister brand, rather than an Alfa Romeo.In the meantime, Mazda has revealed little other detail on the new MX-5, only showing that it is smaller and lighter than before, and announcing it will be on-sale next year. Watch the 2015 Mazda MX-5 launch video here.